Kervallion

The party gives a tour

The party had worked through as much of their rehabilitation as they had time for because soon the Vontaren caravan would arrive with the documents Erin Hastings wanted and Moosa had a significant financial incentive to make sure she got them. He had already organised for Vancill to organise a roadblock to lead the caravan off the main trade road to a more secluded area. The party were ready to head off on this plan when there was a knock on the door which turned out to be Elend Vontaren there for his tour of the “Deep Woods” Mark had promised, apparently he was to be called away on business and so it was his last opportunity, Mark was still blinded and so was tasked with giving the tour while the rest of the party acted on the ambush,

While Mark (and briefly Rolan) took Elend through the lowtown markets and Mark’s house that was. Vancill arranged for two wagons to block the road and cause a scene, that along with a few other blocks led the Vontaren caravan to an alleyway near to where Mark used to live. Near to the alleyway there was a loud gathering that drowned out the noise of the violence that ensued as the party with Vancill clashed with the trained Vontaren guards and Thia quite violently ended the accountant. the fight was not without difficulty but as always the party prevailed. Thia magically unlocked the caravan and the boxes within along with the documents was gold that Vancill expressed interest in but Moosa took. While Moosa left with the valuable and the incriminating in the portable hole Mark, Rolan and Thia took Elend to Zorias’s.

Moosa had asked Vancill to provide someone to work for Zorias and so when the party arrived they met Ashlay a young elf who seemed disinterested with the actual work, Mark utilized his blindness alongside what charm he had to while also buying a perfume for Ennith direct Ashlay to the “legendary” Rolan. Meanwhile Thia tracked down Zorias in the back and purchased another “probably legal” item this time a chime capable of magically opening locks. Rolan left to meet Ashlay’s friends while Mark and Thia took Elend to the “Deep woods” proper. Vancill gave a tour of the district and introduced Elend to some of its citizens, while this was happening Thia noticed her left hand grab Vancills ass there was no discussion of this at that time.

Tour concluded Elend left and Mark and Thia returned home. Moosa visited Erin Hastings, delivered the documents and received his payment he then returned to give Mark two thousand gold to be Rolan, Thia and Mark’s payment before leaving again to pay Vancill. Vancill was provided the agreed payment as well as some of the additional funds acquired, Moosa and Vancill did briefly talk about Thia.

Rolan awoke the next day in a rented room and not alone. after searching across multiple rooms Rolan recovered his equipment, before he could return home however he encountered an old friend from his time among the druids Aldor here answering Rolan’s call for assistance with his blindness, though it seemed that situation had resolved itself there was however more. There was a message from Longwood a mission for Rolan, he was to save a Zanthon “a captain or something” from assassins in the city of Sanuus though the message came with no more information regarding how or why he was to do this. Aldor left Rolan with a warning about dealing so much with humans and cities. Rolan returned to the party with a mission that with little information, that required a long journey and promised no payment out of loyalty to a druid none of the others had met. The party of course accepted…

The party recovers from their experiences in the secret vault

Mark “Valor” Burghed and Rolan Nailò had been Blinded by the dark and were trying to figure out what this meant for them. Sariel had left citing druidic business that needed attending to and a desire to move away from thug street crime and shadow portals she did however leave the artifacts she had recovered from the vault a red leatherbound book and a small black glass box. Ennith spoke with Mark beforeleaving to find a solution on her own and Thia tought she might find a solution at Zorias’s leaving Moosa and Rolan at home to work on a solution themselves. Rolan knew how to coax sustaining berries out of plants from his limited druidic training so he tried combinations of these berries with alcohol, the results were often uncomfortable but never successful. At Zorias’s Thia found something she had never seen there, customers many of them in fact Zorias seemed barley able to keep up with them. Noticing Thia but seeing no opening any time soon Zorias elected to simply tell all the remaining customers to leave and closing the store. It seemed that “Moosa’s” advertisement had worked and Zorias was all to willing to return a favour, not seeing Rolan and Mark’s condition but it sounding bad he gave Thia a vial of an orange liquid telling her not to tell anyone she had it and not to try and split it. Returning Thia gave the vial to Rolan who experienced a strange feeling moving through him, spreading up to behind his eyes before becoming a burning sensation stat spread down to his torso stopping almost os if it were aware and deciding were to go before spreading down his arms. Rolan blinked as his eyes adjusted but soon found he could see again he stood up, his arms hung limply at his sides and his gauntlets fell off.

While Mark and Rolan rested Moosa went to the deep woods to visit Vancill, about the task he had received from Erin Hastings regarding stopping a delivery into Avissium. Moosa offered 2000 Gold in payment and so Vancill was on board. Zorias had mentioned a Letho snake and pooling their knowledge the group determined that it must be native to Xargosia so information was limited in the languages they spoke. With what assistance Mark could offer Moosa looked through the library in their secret subbasement while Thia went to find information in the Grand Academy. In the Academy Thia noticed mages busily investigating the vault, gave Vigo more information and ran into a suspiciously reserved Margret who turned out to be hiding something. Eventually she was able to search the library and return with information suggesting that the venom of the Letho snake had a strange effect on circulation and combined with other materials and/or magic could quickly spread effects throughout the body or shift effects around.

Mark’s assistance to the investigation included stabbing Rolan in the arm with the Blacksteel blade which produced a thick black blood. The party applied leaches to Rolan’s arms which promptly died but afterwards Rolan regained some limited control of his arms. The group did almost try the ring they had taken from the vault but stopped before it could go far. As to the artifacts Sariel had left the book seemed to be magical research notes that would require further investigation, the glass box seemed to have no opening and so was smashed open. Inside was a golden marble that given the opportunity would roll to an unknown location. While she hadn’t told anyone Thia had noticed her magic producing a black tar along with the intended magical effect, this apparently not being enough weirdness she wore the ring she had recovered which grew another layer of skin up to her elbow before blending in.

Mark had made some progress learning to traverse their house blind and Rolan had mostly regained functionality but the party were a druid down before they had their run in with Arthur Webley and the Vontaren documents…

The party find their first portal

The party were exploring the Secrets of the Academy inside a secret area mark had discovered. They were exploring a new room when Rolan was attacked by seemingly his own shadow. The group was attacked by a group of shadow monsters that moved in and out of the floors and walls, when they attacked they seemed to sap the party’s strength. One of them seemed more solid and appeared clawed and horned rather than shapeless, when Mark killed it the others dissipated. The party had to stop to rest and recover but otherwise were free to move on.

When indeed they did what they found was a large swirling vortex on the far wall held within a silver arch with three glowing red gems. Pooling their knowledge Mark and Thia connected the portal to myths about foolish or desperate mages seeking power from a place beyond and to theories about potential other worlds and a means to access them, the situation still read as more or less impossible (this party did go on to prove impossible not to be a problem for them but that was much later) looking inside the group saw swirling images, places, people. They saw Mark inside smiling dressed all in black, Rolan saw Lord Silverthorn and very nearly went inside after him before Mark and Thia stopped him. Thia determined that the three gems where the points holding essentially a hole in the universe open. Mark drawing on Sages league experience rather than magical study elected to remove one of the gems, Thia followed suit leading to them both holding a corner of an increasingly unstable tear in the world. While Rolan lifted Moosa up to the third gem, Mark and THia touched their gems together sending a surge of energy up the tear shifting it enough that Moosa’s head was briefly inside, he emerged covered is some thick black liquid or slime. The tear was now sending out bolts of random energy, Thia collected Mark’s gem and her own in a magical hand drawing in the energy around her she held it solid and lifted them to touch the third. That was when they blacked out.

Sariel woke up looking around the portal was seemingly gone, everyone else was unconscious, shards of the gems were everywhere some of them imbedded in Mark and Rolan, Marks disk lay on the ground next to him, the room blocked of lay open, With druidic magic She summoned horses to cary the party away.
Thia and Moosa woke up it was late in the next day they were told more or less what had happened including that Sariel had collected some of the gem fragments and two items from the other room a book and a small box, Mark and Rolan were still asleep. Thia answered the magical stone Ennith had given Mark telling her he was simply busy, she also responded to Vigo’s summons and tried to tell him what happened again leaving out Mark and Rolan’s injuries her report implied that the portal had been opened recently so Vigo rushed off for the Academy, Thia left a note to explain while searching through the scrolls of “speak with dead” he kept in his desk drawer.

Rolan and Mark awoke they opened their eyes and … nothing happened they couldn’t see both of them tried to stumble around alone while Thia and Moosa tried to stop them and make them accept help. Mark contacted Enith and explained some of what had happened but when he mentioned the blindness she severed the connection. the party were made aware that the mages of the Acedemy had locked down the strange vault and were investigating not likely to share with the Sages league or anyone else anytime soon. Thia answered a knock at the door it was Enith asking “where is he?”

The party discovers a lost library

Now that all Avissium hopefully knew to Shop as Zorias’s the party were able to move on to other issues Mark had returned and there were things to do. While Rolan purchaced a horse and left to continue work on a house in the forest, Moosa took Sariel to see what task Erin Hastings had for them. Mark however was sneaking into “The Grand Academy” following a lead he hadn’t shared with the party with the assistance of Margret Vint he was able to locate what he was looking for although not before being caught by Thia he did however find what he was looking for. The party regathered at their townhouse and Moosa was able to share the task he had received, the party was to relieve a traveler of certain documents and stop him from reporting this to the guard for this they would be financially compensated still he wouldn’t arrive just yet so there were other issues.

Along with Gaius the party paid a brief visit to the royal court. The proceedings were short Prince Regent Renwick apparently distracted by other tasks there was however presented the idea of moving the guard back into the lower parts of Avissium. The party was at least able to become more informed of the situation at court of the country, Kervallion seemed to be on the verge of multiple wars aimed at expanding its borders across the continent a plan started by Prince Regent Renwick while King Richard was ill and Prince Zanthon was absent having not been in Avissium for years.

When Mark last visited the Sages League he received from Grand Scholar Petyr a strange disk covered with strange symbols taken from an expansive archaeological site. Since then Mark had been researching he found old records of locations around Kervallion and possibly beyond where similar symbols were found on walls with no clear reason. The only connection that he could find was that they were all in pre fall sites almost universally in locations used by important or powerful people mostly outside of Estaria no one had ever found a way to activate them magically and all attempts to brute force past ended … badly. Using the disk Mark for possibly the first time post-fall activated a symbol and opened up a passage.

The party gathered in “The Grand Academy” and broke into an ancient vault. It begun with a hall covered floor, walls and ceiling with magical runes, further inside was a dark room full of empty stone bookshelves some of the party briefly seemed to see strange movements form some of the party’s shadows. Mark opened a door only to find a black void objects tested in it seemed to have aged rapidly so the group quickly moved on. Behind another door the group saw shadows coming from around a corner of large armed individuals investigating further Rolan found nothing casting the shadows. When Mark tried to open the next door something closed it from the other side switching to pulling the door the a creature fell into the room with them before attempting to run away. The creature was tall thin and all white, it had long dextrous fingers, no hair and large all black eyes. Moosa reacted by shooting it in the back killing it instantly. Inside were many many large spiders in cages and a collection of spider legs in a corner. Investigating further the party found that all the spider legs were in key like shapes all unique.

Further on they found what seemed to be a human with a missing hand asking after a ring in old imperial. The party did find an animated mummified hand wearing a jeweled ring. They successfully snuck up on it bagged it and “killed” it. When the ring was removed the hard crumbled to dust soon Thia discovered that the ring continued to try and regrow the hand, she decided not to return it.

Further on the group found a room where all the books and scrolls had been piled up in amongst them was a strange creature speaking in old imperial it offered to trade secrets for secrets. Thia traded some minor secrets and was told that “the bearded man opened the way to the dark paths” the group also obtained some books and a broken gem apparently containing information pertaining to Liyanana

Avissium celebrates James's death

Having done much in their goal of Securing the family the party had simply to ensure that nothing went wrong and relations with the Hastings were maintained. Early in the morning Mark Valor rushed off to unknown business and wasn’t seen for the rest of the day. While Moosa visited Giles to supply more coin and see how he was progressing, Thia, Rolan and Sariel went to search James Solen’s office in “The Grand Academy”. After a brief unplanned meeting with Margret Vint they made it into the office and were able to search through James’s things including his stuffed raven, various books on enchantment magic, records on their movements, some money as well as James’s robe and rapier. Searching further Thia found evidence of burnt notes in the fireplace and a secret compartment full of money and various notes, the was then when suddenly there came a tapping as of some one gently rapping, rapping at the chamber door. While Rolan prepared an ambush Thia magiced herself outside to find Elgar Wrothchilde a member of staff outside asking after James, she was able to divert him with a story of James’s “unfortunate accident” the previous night. Moosa had not been entirely idle in this time he had gone alone to visit Zorias to sue up the last of their credit, this he did by purchasing potions, he could not help but be intrigued be the offer of a improved weapon and soon he was requesting a poisoning hand crossbow. The last thing he requested was something to briefly entertain the guards outside fireworks or some such, rather than fulfilling this request Zorias said that he had been inspired Mooas was to return when night fell in Avissium and Zorias would advertise.

Rolan was given the portable hole (now filled with items from James’s office) before he unexpectedly left with Sariel to spend some time in the forest outside Avissium. Meanwhile Moosa and Thia replaced Mark at a meeting with Gaius at “The Golden Opportunity” after some conversation about the groups rapid rise to power and the attention they were gathering Gaius invited them to attend the royal court the next day to see and be seen by those who ran the country this they accepted. it wasn’t until a bird arrived speaking in Rolan’s voice that Thia and Moosa knew where Rolan and Sariel were but they did send a rider in return. Moosa collected Joanna Zahn and as it turned out Erin Hastings as well to see what Zorias was doing which turned out to be quite a bit more than he expected.

Zorias had informed the guards outside, the guards informed Vancill and One Ear, they informed “the deep woods” and the information spread throughout the lower districts of Avissium. Erin informed her father which attracted the attention of Vigo and Gaius. Zorias noticing a gathering crowd began laying out food and decorations this only served to attract more and the more arrived the bigger (and more expensive) the presentation became. Soon many of the most prominent faces of Avissium were eating and drinking outside the purple door, Randal got Vancill and One ear drinking together, Erin talked with Joanna, Giles searched for new customers and found Randal’s alcohol and soon enough Zorias begun.

Zorias tried beginning with a speech but still most didn’t know him or what was happening and so with thia’s help he begun.
fireworks begun as did music, fireworks formed the shapes of standing staves and exploding health potions which rained down on the crowd, soon a large purple Z began to form in the sky, A firework formed into a large purple dragon which swooped over the crowd before colliding into the Z and forming the words
Zorias’s in the market district
have a magical day

As Zorias collapsed from exhaustion people began slowly to leave entertained but confused they would need rest tomorrow Gaius would expect the party for a visit to the royal court, Erin would ask a favour of Moosa, Zorias would have a poisoning crossbow and Mark would return with what he had found…

The party meet up with their old friend James

The Safehouse for the moment explored the next priority was to secure the Zahn family’s position. To this end Joanna planed to make a series of trade deals including one with the Vontaren or Hastings family either option a dangerous proposition. The Zahn family would host a ball during which these deals would be made it was the job of the party to ensure nothing went wrong preparations were in order. Multiple visits were made to Zorias he was able to provide limited information about Mark’s strange new sword, he was however able to provide an enchantment to alter Thia’s dress for the ball and as always healing potions.

When the ball begun Moosa stuck steadfastly with Joanna while Mark set about mingling. He talked again to Elend Vontaren and offered him a tour of the deep woods, he talked to Gaius who told him some pertinent rumors and invited him to return to “the Golden oppertunity” sometime, he had a drink with with Lord Randal Hastings, spoke briefly with Vigo and along with Rolan he antagonised James Solen. Attention was drawn away when Moosa caught a young nobleman trying to slip something into Joanna’s drink when confronted he claimed it harmless, Moosa tested this by force feeding it to the young man who became remarkably unwell but did still live.

Later in the night a servant went to Moosa and informed him that a servant had been found dead, Mark, Thia, Rolan and Sariel were sent to investigate but where the body was meant to be they instead found James Solen with a group of thugs late partygoers. Moosa remained in contact using the earings they had bought form Zorias but remained at the party proper maintaining a facade of normalcy. Mark and Rolan were without their equipment until Mark found that his new rapier had somehow turned up close to where he was. Fire spells were sent back and forth between Thia and James as Sariel called upon her druidic magic to manifest two brown bears before turning into one herself. As Thia prepared her new fireball spell James threw his own magic in to disrupt the attempt this however diverted his attention from the three bears and so ended James Solen.

Mark and Thia returned the party, Thia invited Vigo to dance and took the opportunity to inform him of what had happened and he promised to take care of the situation, Thia went up to an upper balcony to sprinkle salt across all the guests as Joanna negotiated a deal with the Hastings and Vigo left laughing…

The party explore the subbasement

Delving deeper under their townhouse the party had found a strange safehouse complete with an altar to Zenthala. While investigating Mark thought he heard a crate move or perhaps something within, Mark and Rolan very slowly and very carefully opened and searched the crate. Inside they found a rapier with a red leather hilt and a black steel blade the group was suspicious of the blade but still mark took it for his own. The room featured a bed, weapon racks with items suitable for a variety of contexts, various potions, various clothes, cages, and a strange collection of books in every language. The altar itself featured a secret compartment, inside the party found five vials and two daggers one stylised one plain, both designed to deliver poison the vials each seeming to contain a different poison after some discussion the group elected to take the vials. Thia scanned the room for signs of magic and found much of the room radiating magic of a sort but not the type she was experienced in, this included Mark’s new sword. Rolan, Moosa, and Sariel were set to the task of unpacking much of what was in the new room and taking back up to the house proper

Mark and Thia collected their mail that had been forwarded to the Zahn estate. Thia had received a message telling her when to go to the Grand academy and Mark had a message from The Sages league stating that Grand Scholar Petyr had returned and wished to talk. First Mark and Thia went to visit Topher Destral to ask about Mark’s sword. Topher claimed it was an interesting but worthless relic related to Zenthala and wanted to take it. Sensing deception Thia told Mark to refuse technically speaking the sword for the moment belonged to Mark. Next the two visited the Sages league hall and Mark went in for a private meeting with Petyr. Petyr said he had been at a dig near to Cadon it was apparently strange and expansive but Petyr begun to have the impression that thinks were being kept from him and he wasn’t allowed in many sections for “health risks” he told Mark that something strange was afoot. With what influence he did have Petyr smuggled out one artifact which he entrusted to mark it was a segmented disk made of different metals with strange symbols on it. Before he left Mark was warned to be careful who he trusted and so Mark told no one else but Petyr in the league about the strange altar and sword. Eventually the two returned and the party retired to bed, as they slept though the dreamed of foes old and new chasing them as their allies shun them all ending with their death.

In the morning Thia left for the academy while the rest of the party visited Zorias where they offloaded many of the books and assorted potions they had found. Noticing he was distracted with the task of loading up the latest shipment for the Hastings the party offered to help. After the task was done Zorias sat down with the party and offered them refreshments talking briefly about whether any of them had become who they wanted to be. Zorias gave them a record of what was on “fat” pete’s soiled note, apparently a list of Gamen’s old lieutenants and how many of them were trustworthy they took this information to Vancill. No longer attacking extorters or invading homes the party found itself influence rich but cash poor Moosa raised these concerns with Vancill and asked for money for services rendered making particular note that he would not accept a loan, Vancill did have some money to spare and so accepted this time. There was also a stop of at Giles’s to inquire about poisoners arrows, they could be made although the price Giles asked did not sit well with Moosa.

Thia entered the Grand academy she was assigned a room and with it a roommate one Margret Vint an excitable girl working on a teleportation spell. Thia was given a uniform and tested on her magical ability she would have to sign up for what further teaching she sought. Traveling through the Academy Thia happened to run into James Solen she elected to unsubtly stalk him back to his room where sh saw on his desk the stuffed raven the group had sent him.

The rest of the party went to visit Vigo they told him about the strange room but he claimed to have no knowledge of it. When Vigo stepped out for a second Rolan begun looking through Vigo’s logbook again this time he found a section describing beings that could take the appearance of others and replace them apparently only discoverable with salt the section then seemed to cut off abruptly.

The party had found some strange things in the subbasement especially the darksteel rapier, Mark had received a strange artifact and been told to be carefull who he trusted, Thia had begun her involvement with the Grand academy, Moosa had begun asking allies for funds and The Zahn estate would soon be hosting a ball…

Avissium's secrets hit close to home

The parry were riding high from their success in Taming the Thieves court but there was other issues to move on to. This time the discussion was again about party income and weather they were being paid for protecting Joanna. Thia blamed Moosa for not negotiating payment from Vigo. Unhappy with his treatment Moosa left mid conversation and went to talk with Vigo. Vigo restated what he had said last time the issue had come up that he hadn’t offered payment and the party hadn’t asked, satisfied Moosa left. Shortly thereafter the rest of the party arrived Mark partially informed Vigo about the intruder in his room neglecting to mention Rolan and Sariel’s stalking and firebombing of James Solen. Mark asked for advice about James, Vigo asked Mark to consider James’s motivations and allies and allegedly recommended assassination. Thia asked if Vigo could help with the enrollment fee he agreed but while he was out of the room the party set about searching through Vigo’s files where they found references to James being scarred after Rolan’s attack and theories about who sent the mysterious note to Mark that…… were interrupted by Vigo’s return.

Rolan had taken a note from “fat” Pete a note soaked in the river and drenched in blood, Rolan though maybe the note could be salvaged. He took the note to Ennith who said the note looked like it came from Turisas’s armpit and was unsalvageable, he took the note to Zorias who said “are you sure you don’t want to buy more healing potions?”. Thia returned for the first time in awhile to the party’s townhouse and seeing its condition sent Giles and his apprentices back to lowtown. She searched the house for signs of magic and had this strange feeling that [EVERYTHINGWASFINE]. Thia went in search of records on previous owners and after traumatising a city clerk had them. The house had been city property for about twenty years, the previous owner had apparently been Vincent Watte Lord Martial of Kervallion before him there was a strange patern of male human owners with no children who purchased tho house at age thirty and died at age sixty five. Thia resumed her magical search findings things the most [PERFECTLYORDINARY] in the basement soon the whole party had moved to the basement where [EVERYTHINGREMAINEDFINETHEREARE NO SECRETDOORS ISN’T MOOSAACTINGSTRANGELYTODAY?]

Venturing through the secret door Mark and Thia began successfully disarmed traps mundane and magical until they came across an archway guarded by large armoured statues an enchantment checked anyone who passed through for something. Moosa identified the style of the armour on the statues as being similar to a long extinct political faction or possibly cult wiped out by Estarian heroes. When Moosa moved through he did set off the trap but was fast enough to evade the falling blades which would have been more impressive if he hadn’t forgotten about the magical sigil Mark had spotted on the floor beyond setting off a stinking cloud that obscured the darts hitting Moosa. Rolan moved to assist setting of the trap again and finding himself injured by the statues blades, Thia teleported to the other side without incident. Mark moved through the archway and more or less disabled the trap allowing Sariel to move through. beyond the party found something of a hidden storage and safehouse there was a bed, armour and weapon racks, potions, jars, books, scrolls and an altar apparently dedicated to Zenthala.

Thia had been accepted into the Grand Academy, Zorias was looking into the soiled note, Vigo apparently supported the party’s actions, the house had a strange history a stranger hidden room, at this time the party had no idea what this meant and unfortunately for them would have little enough time to find out between their continuing issues with James an what was about too happen…

Mark and Rolan are famous in certain parts of town

Through a little Bear wrestling the party had learned the location where Gamlan’s former lieutenants would be meeting in the “Thieves court” so Rolan, Thia and Mark Valor went to scout it out. The building in question was a run down tenement building that like almost all the building in the “Thieves court” featured many escape routes to the district’s upper levels. The group stayed longer than expected and the group had not laid out any procedures for this eventuality and did they have any way to communicate at a distance, it was with these thoughts that Thia went to Zorias’s. Spending the last of their store credit Thia was able to acquire a set of magical earrings that should allow distant communication, Rolan bought a set of gauntlets that allegedly increase his strength and most of the group bought potions capable of ealing their wounds probably. Thia visited “The Grand Academy” to enrol as a student she displayed the extent of her power and was given a form to fill out, there was however a 10,000 gold enrolment fee, more than she could afford alone. meanwhile Moosa left to tell Erin Hastings about the note Mark had received about supplying information on the Hasting’s purchases, Erin thanked him but had little to add. The party made their final preparations including Moosa arranging to have elf backup and Mark spreading stories about how not in the thieves court he would be that night.

On the night of the meeting Moosa was in the building opposite with five of Vancill’s men al armed with bows, Mark, Rolan, Thia and Sariel entered ostensibly as bodyguards for “Big Jim” who knew enough not to complain. Inside where (including Jim) seven of Gamlen’s former lieutenants with associated guards, at the head of a table was “fat Pete” a thin acrobat the party hadn’t met before. The man began laying out plans to attack the businesses and citizens of “The Deep Woods” until Thia interrupted taking off her nondescript cloak and revealing fine clothing as a display of wealth, Pete introduced the party to the room naming Mark as “Skinny” Pete’s killer and Rolan as Gamlen’s killer. Thia stood up on the table and blasted Pete with fire. Injured Pete fled out the window to the Thieves court’s upper levels. Rolan, Moosa, Vancill’s elves and Sariel followed while Mark and Thia negotiated with the remaining lieutenants. Sariel transformed into a giant spider and allowed Rolan to hold onto a web strand and be pulled along, when Pete jumped from a rooftop into Avissium’s river spider Sariel jumped and in midair transformed from a spider back to an elf and again into a crocodile Rolan following was able to grab on to this crocodile before climbing up to stab down at Pete before fully decapitating him.

Mark and Thia had convinced many of Gamlen’s lieutenants to join Vancill and Rolan furthered his reputation in the deep woods, how well these men would be integrated into Vancils group was yet to be seen…

Everyone arrives in Mark's room

The party returned from the deep woods dropped off Giles and his apprentices at their place and returned to the Zahn estate where they had been staying, in the morning gathered to assess their situations. Mark found an ominous message written in his journel after Thia spotted signs of teleportation, this not being the first time someone had made it into one of their rooms in the middle of the night it seemed something had to be done. Mark recruited Ennith to hide in his room and stop any intruder from escaping. unbeknownst to him Moosa was buying black iron caltrops and setting them up in Mark’s room as well. While all that was being set up Rolan and Sariel had been following James Solen as he visited “The grand academy” and for some reason the palace. They followed as he returned to to the Vontaren estate and watched as he set up a magical ritual and appeared to use a mirror to gain a view into Mark’s room, through there they watched as someone magically transported into the room before stepping on a caltrop, falling, panickedly attempting to flee out the window and suffered a grievous crossbow wound from Moosa. Rolan saw some kind of opportunity and so elected to open the window hi was looking trough and throw a fire bomb at James. Whilst on fire James responded with a spell that immediately dropped Rolan whose skin began to crack and peel and rot. Sariel decided to become a bear grab Rolan and flee and indeed she was able to get Rolan to the Zahn estate and get Rolan healing.

Thia for her part had gone to visit Vancill and smooth over relations. Vancill had lost control and needed help. Thia cleaned him up and the two went around the districts and reestablished control, they arranged for a gathering that night. Vancill gave a speech about controlling their growth and Thia talked about humans outbreeding elves and being a serious threat. One Ear arrived and Thia listened in on their argument on how the elves should proceed. Vancill and Thia’s arguments convinced many but not all the elves of Avissium were begining to break into two factions, those who trusted Vancill and those who followed One ear. Thia’s choice was clear she regained the badge she had recently given up and stayed behind for dinner with Vancill.

The next morning Moosa interrogated the intruder from Mark’s room. He was apparently a local merchants son Jeremy who was paid by a masked stranger to sneak a note into marks room. The note asked Mark to ask about the weather at a local restaurant and promised payment. The party were as ever suspicious but curious, they gave Jeremy a story and carried him home as given his crossbow wound that was now necessary. They did stop of at Vigo’s to hear about how apparently a bear had run through town with a dead elf on its back, there was also reports of a large gathering in “The deep woods” the party had little to add. Following up on the note he hd received mark visited the restaurant and received another message this one more specific. Mr Burghed was asked to deliver a manifest of the goods purchased by the Hastings family from Zorias for which he would receive 1000 gold. Zorias was asked what he thought, he could only theorise but he thought it might be a way for someone to get some advantage over the Hastings, a plan to ambush a delivery or a test for Mark. He was able to provide a charm that might help him resist magical charming attempts something he had been focusing on since his lunch with James.

The next item on the agenda was the Thieves Court the most dangerous part of Avissium (except possible the royal court). Some of Gamlan old men had retreated there and were causing problems for Vancill and Thia had promised to help. The whole party headed down into the twisting narrow alleyways hoping to convince Gamlen’s remnants to join Vancill, to that end they went to a “Big Jim” a mildly respected member of the community narrowly avoiding a fight they agreed to a arm wrestle selecting Sariel as their champion betting Mark’s vest against further information. to the gathered thugs audience the female elf seemed to be little threat she did however as soon as competition began become a large bear, it worked. beaten and humiliated Jim told the party about secret gathering of former Gamlen lieutenants to be held in the thieves court by a “Fat Pete”. The party decided to attend..